Chapter 7
Lily loved filies, so Marcus had her entire eighteenth birthday party decorated with them just to make her happy,
But I was severely allergic to lily pollen–it could even trigger my asthma,
There was no way I could change their minds back then, so I just threw on a face mask and hoped I wouldn’t have a reaction
But the second Lily saw my mask, her face dropped and she signed:
“Is Elena embarrassed by me? Does she not want to celebrate some outsider’s birthday, so she’s wearing that thing?”
Almost before she finished signing, Marcus was already shooting me that disappointed look.
I explained that I was allergic to the pollen.
Marcus’s response was:
“It’s just a little pollen. This is the biggest day of Lily’s year. How can you
be so selfish?”
He ripped the mask right off my face. Standing in that room packed with lilies, my breathing got heavier and heavier, and red welts started popping up on my neck.
But back then, I was Lily’s “caretaker” after her earthquake injuries–I couldn’t leave her side for even a second.
I tried to get my breathing under control, but all I got was Marcus looking at me like I was disgusting.
Halfway through the party, Lily glanced over at me and finally decided to cut me some slack, waving me away.
“Elena, are you having an allergic reaction? Go take some medicine in your room–I already got it ready for you.”
I practically bolted to my bedroom, grabbed the pills from the table, and popped them in my mouth, then took a sip of water.
Glass shards in water sliced down my throat. I started choking and coughing up blood–streaked liquid that dripped onto the carpet. The pain was so bad I couldn’t even scream.
And of course, that’s when Lily called for me to come out and sing for everyone.
She bounced into my room all excited and shut the door, watching me curled up on the floor in so much pain with this sweet little smile. Then, just as Marcus was about to walk in, she locked the door.
I don’t know what she told Marcus, but moments later I heard him snort and say:
“If she doesn’t want to, then let her stay in there. She doesn’t have to come out.”
“She’s old enough to know better than to pull these cheap stunts. What a joke!”
I was locked in that room for twenty–four hours, listening to endless partying outside while I fought through what nearly killed me from that allergic
reaction.
When they finally let me out, I was barely breathing on the floor. But there was Marcus, holding Lily’s college acceptance letter, looking down at me like I was garbage:
“Elena, you clawed your own neck raw just to fake an allergic reaction and get out of singing?” He stared down at me with pure disgust, “I honestly don’t get how I could have a sister like you.”
The memories rolled out like a nightmare in front of Marcus as he stood there speechless, watching my family fuss over me with real concern.
All this time, he’d thought I was faking the whole thing.
“We’re having dinner at Grandpa’s tonight–everything’s ready, we were just waiting for you.” Mom gently took my hand, while Dylan shot Marcus a dirty look and unwrapped his scarf to put around my neck, fussing over me:
“Why didn’t you bundle up more in this freezing weather? The hospital heating sucks…”
Hand Dofuses to Save Her
Just like always, I was all smiles in my family soulless love and rare, hit to Marcus 11 most vé falt the w dany bath
“Mr. Ashford, this is what I call family.” I brushed past Marcus, dropping my voice. “People who remember evryfbile aborti can’t stand.
“Not people who wanted me gone, who wanted me dead.”
Marcus stumbled backward, the lily bouquet slipping from his hands and hitting the floor with a soft thud.
He watched Mom and me walk away, something clicking in his head, and tried to follow us.
But Dylan and Ethan blocked his way at the stairwell.
“Mr. Ashford, starting today, please don’t come into my office anymore.”
Even easy–going Ethan was frowning now, glancing at the lilies in Marcus’s hands.
“I’ll swing by your sister’s room regularly with Dr. Hill for treatment. If you need anything, just give us a call.”
“And don’t you dare go near my sister again. If I catch you one more time, you’re banned from this hospital!” Dylan warned.
Your sister, my sister.
Marcus wandered back to the hospital room in a daze, letting out a bitter, self–mocking laugh.
Yeah.
People who actually gave a damn about her would treat even a bunch of flowers like it was poison.
And him?
In his past life, when had he ever treated her like his real sister for even one second?
He numbly stuck the lilies in a vase on the table. He didn’t even notice the dirty look Lily gave those slightly wilted flowers behind him.
Later that evening, after dinner, I pulled Dylan aside and asked him for a favor.
I asked him to help me “keep tabs on” those two people a thousand miles away–the “parents” I happened to share DNA with.
Chapter 8
